Polycount - Generals - Research General Ruggels

Scott Ruggels

Well, I am Unemployed, now, and kind of lookign for something to motivate me away from soap operas and surfing.

Troops! look to me if you want Reference, Uniform Critiques. I can do light Concepting as well. I can do, Also I am a pretty decent and fast modeller. What I would need are mapping, and texturing assistance.

I could do "me", or something else, but it would probably be vaguely Nazi or Soviet in Uniform type, and as for the underlying character.. Human or Animal? I tend to shy away from a lot of Cyborging. But I love tools and tech and gunz. Let me think on this.


Scott

Scott Ruggels

And old Image to start the goofing around with, but guys, I am gonna need some assistance on what I should be doing. :-)

Scott

Xenobond

I think it'd be cool for those that would want a template for a uniform that'd represent the green spacestation and it's feline Fuhrer.

gauss

Scott with your knowledge and expertise i think it's a given that you should create a character with some kind WWII inspired military uniform, really looking forward to what you'll come up with

lorddon

Ruggels I'm a huge fan of your UT2k3 trainer model. Good to have you on board.

-LD

Ribking

I intend to put a WWII-ish uniform on my entry as well. It would be so sweet if our Generals looked like they were part of a team. How about it, Scott? Up for submitting a uniform design?

Scott Ruggels

Sure, I'll be concepting during the Superbowl and put up a few sletches later on.

I've got some symbology down.


Scott

Vailias

scott: I'm definately slapping that logo on my tanky general. It's perfect for him.

Scott Ruggels

Feel Free. I may be doing other insignia for the Spaceship generals if my concept goes that way.

Scott

Scott Ruggels

So then without further ado, I spent the day concepting, during the superbowl (the commercials this year weren't as good as previous years, though Budweiser, once again led the pack) and so here are 6 pages of initial concepts.


This is the first one I worked on, it was the image in my head. people were egging me on to do a WW2 style character, so I obliged. being old fashioned I did my character in pencil, because I do all my "thinking" in pencil. As it is, this was the strongest mental image I got so far, but as with most tasks, you have to push things in a few different directions to see how it would go.


This one borrows a lot from German Mountain Troops, and I think the exploits of General Eduard Deitel came to mind as a General that lead from the front, but he looks a bit more "NCO, than General Like.


As a Long time Polycount member, I thought about trying to do a version of "Me" as a Polycount General. I am really hesitant about long coats and the like, though because they are a bitch and a half to manage, model and rig (unless someone has suggestions about that for someone without any plugins that cost extra money).


Probably the weakest of the lot, as it is so minimalist, but I wanted to try a "Naval" option,showing a leader of Starship forces.


Now this was some thumbnailing and playing with things. I am very reluctant to do a "non=Human" for this as I really don't want to seem too "Furry" for this contest. Also was me riffing and trying a few body/equipment mods.


this may be how I should have started, rather than ended. a series of figures checking out gross silhouettes and gross style treatments, ranging from just this side of Anime on the Left to Panzer Officer on the right. A lot of this is still up in the air, so feel free to make comments if you are interested. if I can narrow it down, then I'll do the color comps.


Scott

killingpeople

very nice work scott, i like the first two of the bunch - all of them are very good concept sketches.

Mark Dygert

I really like the first one. I also like first one in GenconceptsP06.gif (the last one listed). This looks like a generals battle armor, but comes off a touch like a regular soldier. I would add a few changes, like take the colar from the second one, and place it inside the armor colar of the first. This would give you a little area to add a rank marker? Perhaps give him the hat from the last one in that serries or maybe a helmet? Ahh hell I'm just suggesting that you turn it into your first concept hahaha! I think he needs to be hevily decorated with little ribbons and rankings they will help lend history to your character. Each ribbon/medal tells a story, and leaves the viewer wondering what all that means. I also wouldn't have him smiling but with a slightly grim but with cool reserve and a hint of "I've seen too much war but my job isn't done, and won't be done in my life time so I'll keep fighting until death".

Jhotun

Those shapes are looking excellent to me. I´d go for the third one with a more evolved and futuristic look. A cowboy hat is something i have not seen yet in any other concept

Keep it up!

Ninjas

Great stuff

gauss

great stuff General Ruggels. personally i'm really digging the self-portrait style general... if you were to go with some really sinister material choices and weren't too picky about making a ghoulish alter ego of yourself, i think it'd work great. even from that early of a stage he's got a ton of flair, and i think it's about time we see a true strategic General, not a frontline guy.
Ooh, you know what would be really cool: is if he had a small projector or something clipped to his belt, and you spent a relavitvely small part of your poly budget to give him a whole spacial/holographic overview of the battle/war... so you could see this grinning, maniacal mastermind calling the shots with this dizzying array of holographic markers in the space in front of him. i think it would be a really strong visual punch for an otherwise somewhat reserved character, but it gives you a chance to make a "proper" general and still have plenty of eyecandy. just a thought, please keep the sketches up

Scott Ruggels

Okay, so go with #3, then? I don't mind going goulish. :-) My concern is the longcoat. But yeah I could go for this flair is probably necessary.

Scott

Scott Ruggels

Okay here's some line work for my collaborator to test color treatments on, but this may be the final version, as suggested by General Gauss.


trying an "open Collar on the coat, but may go back to a closed one. using the collar piece as the "computer" and Communications and projection rig.
Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted.

Scott

flaagan

Boss Hogg in the Twenty-Fourth and a half Century! He'll get them Duke boys yet, you watch!

j/k Scott, totally dig this guy. Only thing I'd say is he needs a nice big ol' belt buckle to go along with that hat. Perhaps a cross-guns one or some kind of war momento (or better yet.. scratch that... the polycount smiley!)
May not be a bad idea to put something on the hat that's projecting those info screens, would make the hat a necessary part of his attire.

Mark Dygert

wow, I love it! I really like the idea for the display. I love how clear it is he is a general. He also seems to like his work, which in itself is kind of scary. I can imagine him watching something being blown up and that really tickles his fancy

Scott Ruggels

I may be a fast modeler, but I may not be fast enough. Sorry, but I had a short term freelance contract come in, since my last post, and well, paying the rent take precedence over the contest. That , and the interviews for new work have robbed me of time. So... I may not be able to finish, but I mjay try some modelling over the weekend. Bit completoing things.. I dunno. We'll see.

Scott